Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sources of weapons used by perpetrators of recent violence in Plateau State, Nigeria.

The proliferation of weapons is exacerbating security challenges across Nigeria, although exact sources of weapons used in the recent violence in Plateau state remain uncertain. We are supporting Nigeria to address the proliferation of weapons by providing x-ray image interpretation training to the Nigerian Drugs Law Enforcement Agency to assist them with detecting weapons and weapon parts when screening baggage, fast parcels, and air freight. Furthermore, we are supporting Nigeria to strengthen its borders, including through the Collaboration Against Trafficking and Smuggling (CATS) programme. This programme operates along the Nigerian-Niger border and aims to build the capability of the border agencies to tackle cross-border human trafficking and smuggling.